Abram in Egypt

Genesis 12:10–20
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Abraham, faced with a famine, decides to take his family to Egypt to live for awhile (v. 10). At first glance, this might seem like a good idea to us, when in actuality, by this act of “faithlessness” Abraham was backsliding and had taken his hand out of the hand of God. This is the first mention of Egypt in the Bible, which most commentators say is a “type” of the world. Because Abraham had forgotten God, Egypt looked very attractive to him. What Egypt was to Abraham, the world is to us.

Forsaking the path of faith always brings complications. Consequently, Abraham’s move to Egypt begins a chain-reaction of events. Once in enemy territory, Abraham, in his backsliden condition, decides that his life is in danger because the men might want his beautiful wife, Sarah, so he concocts a lie (vv. 11-12). He thought he would be killed if they knew he was her husband, but if they thought he was her brother they would treat him well, because they would have to make arrangements for her with him, and, besides, it would allow him to protect her (v. 13). At first it seemed as if his plan was working great: Pharaoh treated Abraham well and provided him with all kinds of things to make him wealthy; however, it almost cost him his wife (vv. 14-16). Only divine intervention could save him, so God through great plagues exposed his lie to Pharaoh, and Abraham and all his people were expelled from the country (vv. 17-20). In spite of the trouble Abraham brought upon himself, God did not let the foolishness of this one man jeopardize His Plan.

Application

It is very important that as a Christian I must guard my testimony so that by work, deed, or implication, I never allow myself to backslide and misrepresent my Lord to the world.